CONTACT | culture
The language I love or my love language?
कोस-कोस पर बदले पानी, चार कोस पर वाणी (Kos-kos par badle paani, chaar kos par vaani). The English translation of this famous Hindi idiom is: In India, the taste of water changes after every mile & language after every four miles. This rhyming poetic aphorism reflects the diversity of languages and dialects in India (Narayan,…
Developing a cross-cultural framework to teach academic writing in the L2 classroom
Introduction
It is through interaction with other individuals that people know and understand who they are and their roles and limitations within society (Connell & Wellborn, 1991). Different societies have different values and beliefs that shape their world views from the macro level of ideological structures to the micro level of social…
Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Dialoguing with TESL Ontario members
Abstract
This article reports and comments on findings from a TESL Ontario membership survey and synchronous dialogue session inquiring about challenges and opportunities related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in English Language Teaching classrooms and workplaces. The findings reveal that TESL Ontario members have most frequently experienced ageism and ethnic and cultural…
Spotlight — Shahriar Mirshahidi
Congratulations! You received the OCAD University Employee Equity Award. Talk to us a bit about that award and what it means to you.
I am deeply honored to receive the 2023 Employee Equity Award for my work as an English Language Learning Specialist at OCAD University’s English for Art & Design Program and the Writing…
Using cinema as a teaching tool in the language classroom
The art of teaching a second language (L2) in today’s demands has allowed teachers to become ever so crafty and creative. When teaching any L2 (either as a foreign language or a second language) i.e. English, Spanish or Italian (to name a few), one must make sure of two concepts: First, the motive for which the…
Promoting intercultural communicative competence in ESL classes
*Note: For article appendices, please see the PDF.
Introduction
In a globalized world, ESL teachers are increasingly urged to consider developing students’ intercultural communicative competence in language classes. This paper starts with the definitions of communicative competence (CC) and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) from different perspectives. It then explains what teachers need to teach to…
